Operating mechanism for amusement devices



March 3, 1942. Y Y 2,274,956

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR AMUSEMENT DEVICES Filed Aug. 15, 1938 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan March 3, 1942. L. u. EYERLY OPERATING MECHANISM. FOR AMUSEMENT DEVICES Filed-Au 15, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

nw/EN. 757R L.U.E:YERLY 20 Patented Mar. 3, 1942 3 OPERATING MECHANISM FOR AMUSEMENT DEVICES Lee U. Eyerly, Salem, Oreg.

Application August 15, 1938, Serial No. 224,906

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to amusement devices, and particularly to an operating mechanism for amusement devices.

The main object of this invention is to provide an operating mechanism for amusement devices whereby it; will be possible to obtain unusual sequences of operations from a relatively simple mechanism.

I accomplish this and other objects in the manner set forth in the following specification as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my device showing the operating arms in a horizontal position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the car supporting arm in an inclined position. I

Fig. 3. is a plan of the device in the position shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 44 in Fig. 1.

Fig. is a section taken along the line 55 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of the device employing swing cars and showing the supporting arm in a horizontal position.

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the supporting arm in an inclined position.

Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 8-8 in Fig. 7.

Similar numerals refer throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, there is shown a base H] on which is mounted an upright standard I I on whose upper end I2 is disposed a horizontal pivot shaft I3 on which is mounted a rocker base I 4 one end of which is joined by means of a connecting rod l5 to a crank gear l6 which is mounted on the side of the upright standard II. A motor I1 is secured to the standard II and its pinion l8 meshes with the crank gear IS.

A motor I9 is mounted on the rocker base l4 and its sprocket pinion 20 is in alinement with the sprocket wheel 2| to Which it is connected by means of a chain 2I-A which is attached to the car supporting arm 22 which in turn is rotatable on the shaft pivot 23 which shaft is attached to the rocker base I4. Each end 24 of the arm 22 is forked to rotatably support the car 25 whose trunnions 26 journal in the ends 24.

Seats 21 are provided in the cars 25 below the centers of the trunnions 26.

The operation of this form of the device is as follows:

When the motor I9 is operated, it causes the to similar parts arm 22 to revolve on the axis of the shaft 23, and when the motor I! is operated, it causes the crank gear Hi to rotate together with the crank l6-A and through the connecting rod IE to move the rocker base [4. It can be seen that a wide range of movements follows the application of these two motions.

For example, while in the position shown in Fig. 1 the cars 25 merely revolve in a circular orbit in a horizontal plane. While in Fig. 2 is shown a position in which the cars revolve in a circular orbit in an inclined plane, but since the plane inclines at different angles while the cars 25 rotate about their vertical axis, they naturally assume a great variety of various paths of travel between the two mentioned.

In the form of the device shown in Figs. 6 to 8, there is mounted on the base 30 a pedestal 3| on whose upper end is disposed a bracket 32 on whose outer end is disposed a standard 33 on whose pin 34 is hinged a tiltable base 35 one end of which is supported by the piston 36 of a hydraulic cylinder 31 to which fluid may be admitted by means of a conduit 38 under any convenient control valve system (not shown).

Mounted on the tiltable base 35 is a pivot pin 39 on which is rotatably mounted the cross arm 40 in whose ends 4| are suspended the cars 42 by means of the cables 43.

In this form of the device, it is desirable to mount the motor 44 on the side of the tiltable base 35 and to drive the arms 40 by means of a pinion 45 on the motor 44 through a chain 46 which passes around the sprocket wheel 41 which in turn is secured to the arms 40.

As the motor 44 is operated, the arms 40 rotate on their axis in whatever position it may assume under the action of the piston 36 causing the cars 42 to move outwardly under centrifugal action and to travel through constantly changing planes. It will be understood that it is desirable to provide a means for automatically and continuously tilting the base 35 shown in Fig. 7 just as a means is provided for tilting the rocker base l4 shown in Fig. 1.

Attention is drawn to United States Patents Nos. 2,046,678 and 1,987,004 over which this device is an improvement.

I claim:

1. An amusement device of the class described having in combination an upright standard, a base tiltably mounted on said standard, a spindle projecting from said base, an arm journaled on said spindle between its ends, means for revolving said arm on said spindle, means for continuously tilting said base in a single vertical plane and a car at each end of said arm adapted to carry passengers.

2. An amusement device having in combination an upright standard, a pivot adapted to tilt in a single vertical plane on the upper end of said standard, a motor driven means for continually rocking said pivot, an arm rotatably mounted on said pivot midway between its ends and a car rotatably mounted at each end of said arm on an axis normal to the longitudinal axis of said arm.

3. In a device of the class described a combination of an upright standard, a base hinged to the upper end of said standard on a fixed horizontal pivot, means for rocking said base continually, a shaft projecting upwardly from said base normal to its pivot axis, an arm rotatably mounted at an intermediate point thereof on said shaft and a car rotatably mounted on each end of said arm on an axis normal to the longitudinal axis of said arm whereby the plane of rotation of the arm may be varied as to inclination but the direction of inclination remains fixed.

LEE U. EYERLY. 

